Duking it Out with Email
Organized people love checking things off their “To Do” Lists. Although modern technology has made office life much easier, certain applications, like email, inadvertently add to the challenges of the work day. Even a Certified Professional Organizer like me can be daunted by the amount of emails sitting in my inbox at the end of the day.
The average worker today handles 125 emails each day — That’s a lot of sending and receiving. How you handle them as they come in directly affects your level of productivity. Here are five tips to help you keep that chin above water in your sea of emails.
1. Shut off all email notification sounds and symbols. The average worker is interrupted every 8 minutes, and email is one of the most constant distractions. Those dings, pings, and musical chimes are as insistent as a toddler pulling on your pant leg. They don’t stop tugging until you give them your attention.
2. Batch your email transactions. Check email 2-3 times per day instead of keeping it constantly open.
- Let your co-workers know this is your new MO so they can properly adjust their expectations of receiving a reply.
- Responding to an email within seconds of receiving it trains others that you can be interrupted at any time.
- When it’s time to check your email, focus on nothing but email. You’ll be amazed at the efficiency of this method! You’ll also make quicker decisions.
